Orange Pecan Black Rice for #SundaySupper

Ina Garten, aka Barefoot Contessa, is one of my favorite celebrity chefs. She loves to cook with fresh, local ingredients and she’s always so … calm. Nothing flusters this woman. I like to think I’m relaxed in the kitchen, but Ina takes it to a level where I’m not qualified to play.

Ina’s original recipe was for Orange Pecan Wild Rice. After scanning my giant pantry box o’ grains, the closest thing I could find was a blend of black and mahogany rice. Let’s see … take off my comfy sweats and drive to the store or use what I already have? Channeling Ina’s calmness, I chose the latter.

The only other significant change I made to the recipe was to skip the two tablespoons of butter (half was cooked with the rice and the other was stirred into the warm rice after it was cooked). I added a teaspoon of olive oil instead. Just so you know, two tablespoons of butter has 200 calories and 22g of fat, 14g of which are saturated. One teaspoon of olive oil has 40 calories and 5g of fat, only 1g of which is saturated. You’re welcome.

I made this dish just before lunch, took a few photos and left it on the counter. When I returned to the kitchen an hour later, half of the rice was gone. I looked at the bowl, then at the Grillmaster. “I’ve had three servings already,” he said sheepishly. “It’s really, really good.”

Place rice and chicken stock in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stir, then cover and simmer for 50 minutes. Remove from heat, still covered, and let steam for 10 minutes. (Note: You can also use a rice cooker or steamer, but you may need to reduce the amount of chicken stock.)

Fluff rice in large bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Add grapes, scallions, pecans, orange zest and orange juice. Season with salt and pepper and toss well.

Nutritional Analysis: Orange Pecan Black Rice is low in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Manganese. (Source: nutritiondata.com).

The #SundaySupper gang will be sharing Favorite Celebrity Chef Inspired recipes all afternoon on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram on Sunday, December 2, 2012. We will also have a live chat at 7 p.m. EST on Twitter and will be using the hashtag #SundaySupper. We look forward to answering questions, giving tips and inspiring you to spend more time Around the Family Table with those you love! Thanks to Tammi of Momma’s Meals for hosting this event.

Mmm, this is one I want to try. I am sure it would be delicious with any kind of rice, though the black rice is certainly interesting. And I totally agree the drizzle of olive oil is more than sufficient!

LOL I totally understand the decision making process of getting out of comfy clothes and driving or figuring it out with what you have. I have never tried black rice. I will have to see if I can find it so I can give this a try.

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I'm Shelby, aka Diabetic Foodie. If you have diabetes, cook for someone who has diabetes or just want to eat healthy, you're in the right place. I firmly believe a diabetes diagnosis is not a dietary death sentence.

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Nutritional Disclaimer

Please note I am not a nutrition expert or a medical professional of any kind. The nutritional information included with the recipes on this site was calculated using online tools such as myfitnesspal.com and nutritiondata.com or by hand using The Complete Book of Food Counts by Corinne T. Netzer. Nutrient values provided should be considered estimates only. If accurate nutritional information is critical to your health and well-being, please independently perform the calculations yourself. No information presented on this site is a substitute for the services of a trained health professional.